Trailing in the polls and facing stubborn inflation, a stagnant economy, depleted public coffers and long waiting times at hospitals, the British Conservative Party is turning to populist issues like climate, refugees and crime ahead of next year’s election.
But exploiting so-called wedge issues, including by mounting a retreat on an ambitious commitment to phase out fossil fuels, carries risks. Far-reaching climate policies enjoy broad support in Britain, and the party risked turning off swing voters and environmentally conscious supporters in the south, experts said.
Analysis: “It’s part of their strategy to provoke outrage,” Tom Burke, a former government adviser, said. “You provoke outrage to reassure your base. It’s exactly the strategy Trump is pursuing in the U.S.”
The British government faces a mounting crisis over crumbling schools after a former government official said that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had refused to rebuild more schools when he was head of the Treasury, despite warnings about the deadly risks of lightweight concrete.
